DPReview recommends: Best smartphone cameras

DPReview recommends: Best smartphone cameras

In many users' pockets consumer-level digital compact cameras have been replaced by smartphones. The cameras of the latter don't usually have zoom lenses or xenon flashes but image sensor technology has been rapidly improving and clever software processing helps rival, and in some cases even surpass, image quality of dedicated cameras. Add large high-resolution screens for image framing and viewing along with the ability to add special features and new shooting modes by installing apps to the mix, and it's no surprise that for many the smartphone camera has become an important piece of photographic equipment.

On this page we have listed, in no particular order, our current favorite smartphone cameras for those who are looking to buy their first smartphone or upgrade their current device. We are aiming to continuously update this article as new reviews are being added to the site. At the bottom of the page you will also find a chronological list of all smartphone camera reviews that have been published on DPReview Connect since we started the site in 2012.

Recommendations are subject to change and current as of December 2015. Please note that some reviews are ongoing and we will update this article accordingly.

In terms of smartphone technology the the Panasonic Lumix DMC-CM1 is not the newest device anymore but with its 1-inch image sensor, adjustment dial and comprehensive manual settings it is still the closest thing to a true hybrid device that we have seen. Its image detail and operational control is unheard of on more conventional smartphone cameras and the ISO range up to 25,600 allows for more flexibility when shooting in low light. Additionally the Raw files offer noticeably more editing leeway than those captured by cameras with smaller sensors.

However, CM1 owners have to be willing to accept some compromises. The lens shows some noticeable corner softness, white balance under artificial light is inconsistent and the flash produces results that can be virtually unusable. Video quality is average at best and we weren't too impressed by the CM1's screen either. The DMC-CM1 is also noticeably bulkier than conventional smartphones and as shipped, the lens has no protection from scratching, so carrying the device in your pocket might not be ideal.

Essentially, the Panasonic CM1 is the device of choice for all those who want their smartphone to offer the looks, feel, control and image detail of a premium compact camera. If you are willing to accept the drawbacks mentioned above and don't mind paying a premium price it won't be easy to find a smartphone that performs better as a stills camera.

In our opinion the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are the nicest looking-looking and made Samsung smartphones we have tested so far and the camera performance perfectly matches the premium look and feel of the exterior.

With their 16MP CMOS sensors the Samsung flagship models capture good detail in bright light and thanks to a combination of very well balanced noise reduction, a fast F1.9 aperture and optical image stabilization low light image quality is at the very top of smartphone cameras with small sensors. In addition both panorama and HDR modes produce great results and the front camera is among the best we have seen. The 5.1-inch Quad-HD screen is fantastic for viewing images or composition, even in bright outdoor conditions, and the new Quick Launch feature gives rapid access to the redesigned and better-structured camera app via a double-click of the home button.

There aren't many points of criticism but high volume photographers will notice the lack of a microSD slot. Thanks to a firmware update the Galaxy now offers manual control of shutter speeds or DNG Raw capture though. So overall, as a mobile photographer you can't go wrong with the Galaxy S6 Edge. It offers great smartphone image quality and camera performance in a beautiful package, just make sure you can live without expandable storage.

What we like: Class-leading image quality in all light levels, efficient HDR and panorama modes, premium look and feel

What we don't like: no expandable storage

Also consider: The LG G4 comes with a spec sheet that is not too dissimilar to the Galaxy S6's. It combines a 16MP CMOS sensor with an even faster F1.8 aperture and optical image stabilization. We preferred the Samsung's build quality and screen and found the Galaxy also had a slight edge in terms of image and video quality. However, the G4 is still very good and adds a microSD slot and removable battery to the mix, making it an excellent alternative for the users who rely on those features.

The value for money option: Motorola Moto X Style / Pure Edition

The Motorola Moto X Style (Moto X Pure Edition in the US) offers a high-end specification at a price point that is noticeably lower than the competition from other established manufacturers. It offers good image and video quality across the board. In very low light optical image stabilization could help reduce the need for shooting at high ISOs but but even without such a system digital stabilization is doing a very good job in video mode and still images show well balanced processing up to the highest sensitivities. The front camera is one of the first we have seen to come with a dedicated LED-flash, giving the Moto an advantage when shooting self-portraits in very low light.

Images are composed and viewed on a large high-resolution display that is sharp and bright, allowing for decent visibility even when shooting in sunny conditions. All the technology is wrapped up in a solidly built water repellent body, allowing for use in adverse weather conditions.

On the software side of things, purists will appreciate the Moto X Style's operating system, which is very close to stock Android. Despite the latest version of Google's mobile operating system the Moto X Style does not support DNG Raw capture or full manual control over shutter speed and ISO though. Panorama mode cannot keep up with the best in class but if you are happy to expand the imaging feature set via third-party options from Google Play and can live without Raw, the Motorola Moto X Style currently represents one of the best value for money handsets for mobile photographers in the high-end bracket of the market.

What we don't like: no DNG Raw support, low-quality panoramas and slow-motion video

Also consider: The Motorola Moto X Play comes with a very similar design to the Moto X Style but a smaller 5.5-inch 1080p display and a slightly downgraded processor specification. In terms of camera module and operating system it's very similar to the Style, albeit at an even more affordable price, making it a great option for the budget-conscious mobile photographer.

Like its predecessors the iPhone 6s Plus delivers solid image quality with good exposure, color and tonality across all light levels but, especially in bright conditions, pixel-level detail is not quite up with the best in class. Where the Apple device really shines is in the special modes department though. Panorama mode produces the largest and best-stitched images in the smartphone sector and both slow-motion and standard video modes capture excellent results. Finally there's now also 4K video for those who need higher resolution moving images.

Apple has also upgraded the front cam to a 5MP sensor and the iOS ecosystem arguably still offers the best selection in imaging and video apps. For current iPhone 6 or 6 Plus users upgrading to the 's' model offers limited benefits but the iPhone remains a solid choice for any mobile photographer, especially when they're already invested into the iOS operating system.

What we like: Good exposure and color, great video and panorama modes, premium materials

What we don't like: less pixel-level detail than direct competitors, no microSD-slot

Also consider: The iPhone 6s offers most of the Plus model's imaging features and quality in a smaller package with 4.7-inch screen. The camera module has to make do without optical image stabilization but in its testing DxOMark found the impact on image quality to be small.

If none of our recommendations can convince you, below you can see a complete list of our smartphone camera reviews including scores. Click on the device name to go straight to the review.

Hello everyone. Here is a very interesting web app with mobile camera reviews https://www.facey.top. It’s possible to see photos from different mobile devices, search for devices, find device with the best cameras...

I thing Samsung S6 and S6 Edge has provide quality camera of 16MP back and 5 MP front for capturing good and high definition pictures to their users. I like the phone very much as it has samsung name and provide much high performance as compared to different brand phone with similar pricing.

To say slightly limited range of apps for the Nokia dramatically understates how useless these Windows machines are for contemporary day to day use. No programs to run home utilities and no remote control of your cameras as the large organisations just do not write for this peripheral mobile operating system. The rule of thumb probably is that if you wish to connect to any other device Windows mobile is not for you. I cannot wait for my current Nokia contract to expire.

Where is the Samsung K Zoom ??? What else has a 24-240MM optical zoom (apart from the S4 zoom). Every camera buff knows optical zooming is better than digital. It won't be for a purist who is happy with fixed focal length, but great for someone who wants some versatility in the lens.

Rans some calcs for kicks, it's interesting that CM1's 1" sensor is 4.69x larger than Lumia 1520, giving CM1 about a 2.17 stop improvement (square root of the area ratio). Compared to the traditional 1/3" or smaller smartphone sensors used by the rest of the smartphones in this review, the CM1 sensor is 6.71x larger, giving the CM1 a 2.59 stop improvement.

The Nokia 808 surprisingly had a 1/1.2" sensor so very close to CM1. But for some people, the operating system may be a limit on some phones. The 2 biggest, iOS and Android, have a fairly mature app system. Don't know about Symbian, Windows and other operating systems.

I am not a iPhone hater, I have had a few, but from a photography tool standpoint you have to win the Lotto to buy it if you plan on using it for long Video lengths or taking a lot of shots. With the 4k sort of hack you Have to have the 128 version.

So you are FORCED to pay for the 128 MB one, which costs a fortune compared to say a Note 4, which I have, that you can go down to Wal Mart and buy a Micro 128 MB card for 60 bucks.

I hate that Apple Sticks it to you by not having a way to add memory space without paying through the nose to get it. God like they really Need to make more money!!

Thank goodness for competition eh? You have your Note 4, so you are good. Why do you care if Apple "forced" other people to pay for 128GB one?

And seriously, an actual videographer would not have a one sole iPhone as his/her main 4K recording device. Plus, there's a thing call computer where you can offload the videos afterwards, instead of leaving them in the iPhone forever and ever.

No Galaxy K zoom here. In my personal tests it exceeds the quality of Galaxy S6 most of the time, as well as having a bit bigger sensor and xenon flash. Why don't Dpreview test it?And it's a pretty good phone too.

Check out the 4K video test I did from the Samsung Galaxy S6. Pretty impressive from such a small sensor. Remember to adjust the resolution on the bottom right of the Youtube screen to at 1080p or even 2160p. Let me know what you think of this TEST? BTW: this is straight out of the camera and uploaded to YouTube.

"Also consider: The Galaxy S6 is the Note 4's smaller cousin. It comes with a smaller 5.1-inch screen but offers the same Quad-HD resolution as the Note 4. Its camera module combines a 16MP sensor with optical image stabilization and a very fast F1.9 aperture, performing very well in the DxOMark image quality assessment."

No, the S6 doesn't have a better camera than the Panasonic CM1--no smartphone does.

It's a stretch to think smart phones with tiny 3mm plastic fixed lens are anything more than sophisticated 'pinhole' cameras and I challenge anyone to look at a well composed and exposed 8x10 photo from any smart phone and see any significant differences. Any differences noted, I would say, are purely subjective and nothing to do with any notable difference in smart phone technology.

Just a comment on the level of debate in this column with accusations of racism and other nasty talk taking place which seems out of place in DPReview. I'm not a snob and enjoy a good debate but why is it that internet forums including this one seem to devolve into trash talk, personal insults and name calling. I know its just a few that always spoil it but why not have some rules and delete the few letters that don't belong that most readers would agree don't serve anyone well.

Everything on a side that I said below, ever since Amazon purchased DPREVIEW, you guys are struggling to catch up with technological previews and novelties in a camera department and here with telephones.I understand that you need time and diligence to review a phone or a camera but in the past 5 years, and I am fan of Dpreview for a longer than that, Dpreview is not capable to keep up with demands, attention span of customers, and new products that arrive daily on the market.The volume of products also increased, and that is something you should work on.Ask your employers to hire more stuff.I do not know the time frame, how lond does it take one or 2-2 people to review one camera or a telephone, but it is a clear to me you need more people doing what are you doing...

One of the reasons I got a Note 4 was the camera and I have NOT been Disappointed in image quality. I do wish it had more options and manual control. I general take stills but the video is just as impressive. Ever just think of just what all a device like the Note 4 or other smart phones do? Camera, camcorder, audio play/record, ect.... and of course a phone. Not much they don't do all in one device!

I consider Nexus 6 is the best buy now. I would consider Nokia/Microsoft if they change the body design. I don't understand why Nokia/Microsoft keep using old design from Lumia 800, which already out date and boring.

I think Papi61 is either a paid troll or just really have lots of time on his "director" job.

His believe that Korean are racially superior to white, Japanese and Chinese thus Samsung make the best phone but is shunned by others especially American who are racist, xenophobic and look down on "yellow people" is too crazy to not being taken seriousely.

Again Apple bias.First comes Iphone 6 in the article than Note 4 as recomended phone.I took pictures with both phones, Apple image quality is left in the dust by Samsung's Note 4...and we are talking some serious dust.

The key thing here is the iPhone does everything very well and although other phones are better at almost every single aspect of photography none of them can claim to be better devices because they are clearly deficient in most other perfomance metrics, to quote the article "has no obvious weaknesses in the imaging department" despite not having cutting-edge imaging technology (Android phones to devices which have already using 64 bit processors for a couple of years).

Finally the killer reasons for why millions of people prefer iPhones is that they are not android phones and they would rather pay money to agree to Apple Inc. T&Cs than submit to Googles contractual stipulations. Simply put, we'd rather stump-up more dosh for a always encrypted phone and clud services that are reliable and nice to use with minimal ads than sign up to a free data mining service.

I have read the article, it is not about article it is about appearance.And few will read article thoroughly, than DPR. place image on telephone that is #1, than telephone that is #6 (Apple) on the list and than Samsung phone, that is actually #2! This was my problem with, not with the article but the way things are presented...

I am not a iPhone hater, I have had a few, but from a photography tool standpoint you have to win the Lotto to buy it if you plan on using it for long Video lengths or taking a lot of shots. With the 4k sort of hack you Have to have the 128 version.

So you are FORCED to pay for the 128 MB one, which costs a fortune compared to say a Note 4, which I have, that you can go down to Wal Mart and buy a Micro 128 MB card for 60 bucks.

I hate that Apple Sticks it to you by not having a way to add memory space without paying through the nose to get it. God like they really Need to make more money!!

I can't think of a single "department" where the iPhone wins. CPU? Not even close. Screen? Are you kidding me? Camera? We've already established it's not the case etc. Heck, the S6 even LOOKS better, and that's what Apple fanboys have always considered the most important thing.

Component-wise, the iPhone 6 is a late-2013 Android and currently it has the same specs as a $200 phone. But then again, despite what they charge for it, we all know that the iPhone only costs $200 to make. The difference being that other manufacturers can charge no more than $250-270 for something like that.

US tech media are slaves to Apple (and the fact that the writer in question may not be American is beside the point, this is very much a US publication...) No one dares to contradict them, no one dares to criticize them, and since reality does that all the time, then these "journalists" have to jump into Apple's reality distortion field to avoid telling the truth.

So, on one side you have "journalists" who are really fanboys and are eager to lie for Apple. On the other you have people with more integrity but who are afraid of the immense power that an evil megacorporation like Apple can wield. They can destroy anyone's career in an instant. So, as long as it's a US publication, you will ALWAYS see a huge amount of Apple bias.

The S6 is mentioned under "also consider" below the Note 4. We have not done our own review of it yet, only published a DxO report. I am currently working on our review and we will update this article when it's done. As you might understand, I want to base my recommendations on my own tests.

DxO is a French company that does in-depth lab-based tests of cameras and smartphone camera. We use their data, crunch it and use it for our reports that we later incorporate in our real-file fully comprehensive reviews. Hope this explains it.

iphone6+ is a better camera phone than samsung s6 or current note4. just accept reality and let it go. the whole point is, iphone invented the mobile photography genre and its still the class leader in responsiveness, ease of use of that camera while Android continues to evolve into silly UIs changes and still lags when activating the camera except when its out of the box.Specs are just silly measurement of how good a mobile phone camera is.

It is just a quick test to show that there really is 3K worth of detail. I'm not going to embark into a bunch of scientific testing of both just to be right on the internet. But feel free to download the files to see for yourself.

www.dropbox.com/s/2ls07zcryyrrzhw/20150605_103225.mp4

www.dropbox.com/s/b7ocodm5e9ht10c/IMG-0195.mov

The reason I really prefer the iPhone for video is not just the image. It's the abilities of this app, Stuff like:

I guess the point is, no matter how mediocre the iPhone is compared to its peers, it still has a place or award for that matter. Samsung Galaxy S6, Nexus 6, Note 4 are the deserving holders of best all rounder (which should not exists in the first place).

What is there in the iPhone 6 that is not in any of those phones? No 4K, mediocre display, mediocre IQ, smaller sensor, shorter battery life, sluggish processor, smaller memory, darker lens, still best all rounder?

it's not the specs that count but the performance and believe it or not, Apple's performance is way better than the specs would suggest...talk about efficiency.

However, nowhere in the article does it say the iPhone is better than the Note 4, in fact we clearly say the Note 4 has the best IQ. That doesn't mean though the iPhone cannot be a great allround device, does it?

And just to be clear: Of the about 20 smartphones I have owned since 2007 one was a HTC Windows Mobile device, One a Nokia with Symbian, one is an iPhone 6 Plus and the rest are Android devices. I don't actually use the iPhone as my daily phone, I had to buy it because I don't get any test devices from Apple and I need something to test iOS apps on and for comparison. You can call me many things but you cannot call me Apple-biased.

I did not call you Apple-biased. I called your publication Apple-biased. And, like I said, you may want to be impartial but your employer would not like you to tell the absolute truth about their products. Apple is an evil megacorporation that routinely bullies people (see how they're trying to bully the music industry into killing Spotify...) They can destroy you and DPR in just days.

"it's not the specs that count but the performance and believe it or not, Apple's performance is way better than the specs would suggest...talk about efficiency."

Efficient where? Have you tested the OS or the photographic capabilities of the phones? Have you opened 15-20 tabs of website and various apps running at the same time? Have you compared iPhone running benchmark on a crippled resolution versus the rest on a quad HD? I suggest you create a table and lay out all the features and result/performance of the features and see if iPhone is ahead versus competitors.

Given that virtually all of the smartphone reviews on here including this article have been written by me I do think you are calling me Apple-biased, even if indirectly. Also, I have no doubt that Apple could destroy me, this site or the world whenever they fancy but at this point they seem to be happy enough to just ignore me. Works for me. Abd yes, Mr. Roboto, when I spend several weeks with one of these phones to write a review I get a pretty good idea of their performance, camera and otherwise.

Lars, despite what your true feelings may or may not be, I do believe that this publication would never ever let you seriously criticize Apple. Just look at the reaction of the fanboy above this post. If you told the truth about Apple and it weren't pretty, he would immediately call you names just like he did with us for criticizing his religion. And he would never ever take a second look at DPR. So no, Amazon would never let go of millions of religious idiots, because religious idiots are willing to spend gazillions on their religion...

Whose minding the store (website) at DPR? This is listed as "updated" but doesn't include results of testing of latest Android Galaxy S6, which clearly won best all around prior to the huge Sony 1" sensor being shoe-horned into a sort of cellphone body.

Frankly, they're all essentially useless because they all have fixed focal length fixed lenses. Without a range of focal lengths available in a cell phone camera, I'll be carrying a real camera anyway, and so I'll use that instead, in all cases.

I could maybe live with two built-in primes and cropping (say, 24mm equivalent croppable to 60 and 80mm croppable to 200), but not one. I have to have some telephoto capabilities in my pocket camera. I often crop my current pocket camera (24-105) all the way in to around 300mm equivalent or so.

That is bound to mean that all fixed-lens, single-focal-length camera are useless... which is obviously not the case.

It only takes a little skill to "survive" a week with a fixed 40mm on APS-C and take great pictures...I'd say that a 28mm equivalent or little more is perfect on a cellphone: you always have stitching for panoramas and portraits don't look too awful either...

Edit: That second argument is a non sequitur...The vast majority of cellphone images are uselessandSmartphones all have fixed lensesthustheir pictures must be useless because of the fixed focal length

Yeah, fixed-lens single-focal-length cameras are pretty much useless. I discovered this simple fact when I bought my first camera in 1979, which was a Canon AE-1 and 50 1.8. Since I had no other lenses, it was essentially that. And it was annoying, to say the least.

I quickly saved my pennies and bought a 28/2.8 and a 70-210 zoom.

People that look for subjects that can fit their equipment baffle me. I shouldn't have to serve my equipment, my equipment should serve me.

I get a lot of really odd looking portraits taken on cell phones sent to me. While it's possible to shoot portraits with wide-angle lenses, you have to know what you're doing and most cell phone users do not. I often get images of people with big heads or big feet that I have to distort or tilt heavily to make look reasonable.

I still think the first company that makes a main-stream cell phone with good smartphone features and a zoom or dual-focal-length camera will cause a major shift in the market.

Sounds good, until your subject is in the air, in space, far away and you're already at the cliff's edge, or on stage while you're in your seat. In other words, it sounds good until you're in the real world.

Apropos the Apple 6+, why don't you guys ever discuss how raw shooting apps extend its range? I have a 6+, and I use both 645 Pro, and Camera Pro, both of which produce highly detailed shots, far exceeding the phone's JPEGs and HDR mode images. They output as TIFF files.

Good point. Thanks for making it. Yes, it's a huge improvement, but not quite the real thing. The 645 TIFFS are called D-RAW by the software's manufacturer. I assign the app to the journalists I work with, who carry iPhones on their assignments.

all looks crap under artificial indoor light and backlit scenes which most selfies and portraits takes place. All phones look good under nice outdoor light except night scene. One can improve using Perfectly Clear apps.

I have an LG G3 and I like it a lot, but although the photos are good in optimal conditions it suffers badly indoors or in poor light. I had to take some photos for work not realising that my colleague had already taken some on her iPhone 5S. Even I had to admit they were worlds better than mine...

Peiasdf, the Camera module on the G2 is the same Sony module found on the G3 and the Galaxy S4. The kicker is that with the XCam App you have complete control on Noise Reduction, Sharpness, Etc and even Raw. Very few cameras offer this kind of flexibility and the results are excellent. In the US you can find a brand New G2 for under $200. Probably one of the best value on Smartphone currently.

I agree on the 2/3. Originally I wanted the panasonic CM1 but I don't really need that. Standard compact would probably do but given the price premium of modern phones (no contract) I think 1/1.7 is a good compromise for size / value.

I got bored of waiting and bought a used Nikon coolpix A instead.

That said, if you are in the market - the vivo xshot looks good. I was considering that before.

truth be told , people with phones dont care about new and awesome tech. They use their cameras for selfies and thats it...thats is why microsoft wont be updating their best cameras...i wish the sensor inside the 808 was used in digicams, like a ricoh or any other, fuji and etc...

"...dont care about new and awesome tech. They use their cameras for selfies and thats it" - so you're going to ignore all the "phone photos" out there that are not themselves? you have a condescending view of other phone owners.

@vv50...like menneisyys said its about the majority, a company must think macro. Its about the sales, thats all.i know this because i teach photography.99,99% use their phones to such purpose...and the ones who take photography seriously may use their phones occasionally to serious photographyand for last, those who care, dont know what the pureview tech is and have no idea how good is the sensor...

no. my knowledege about the students makes me knowing about it. And apparently makes you "clever" in the battle of words in the internet...ps: dont bother answer, i wont be reading, unless you want to write for someone else do the reading...clever boy, girl or whatever...

back to the 808 and possibly the 1020. None of these mobiles on the top list have a lossless digital zoom! I find this feature indispensable for taking site photos, where I need to use zoom to get closer. Also having a "lower resolution" 3MP is ideal, for site images, as massive detail is not required, just good detail on the area of interest.

Unless the photo taken is going to be enlarged printed or post cropped, there is no real reason to use more than 8mp. Even so the lower 3Mp is a life saver for space efficiency.

Google Photos is adding a few pet-friendly features that will make it easier to find photos of your favorite pooch. Now, you can organize your pet photos by facial recognition, and you can even search your library by breed.

The Nikon D850 is a 45.7MP full-frame DSLR with an autofocus system lifted wholesale from the pro-sports focused D5. 4K capture, continuous shooting at 7 or 9 frames per second make it sound like the ultimate all rounder. Is it all that these specs suggest?

DxO has announced version 3.0 of the iOS app for its 'One' connected camera. It adds support for multi-camera Facebook Live broadcasting and both time-lapse still and video capture. Android users will be pleased to hear that a One for their platform is on the way, as well. Several new accessories are available, including a battery pack.

Canon has introduced the PowerShot G1 X Mark III, which borrows the 24MP APS-C sensor and Dual Pixel AF system from the company's recent mirrorless and DSLR cameras, adds a 24-72mm equiv., F2.8-5.6 lens and puts them into a lightweight body – but it'll cost you quite a bit.

It's not often that we see a genuinely interesting compact camera, and the Canon PowerShot G1 X Mark III is one such beast. We've pulled out the top features of the camera and tell you why they matter – and put the Mark III up against the competition.

Canon's 28mm F2.8 IS USM may be small in size, but it's big on fun. We wrote about our experience using it as our only lens in Big Sur, California, but in case you missed out on our full gallery, take a look to see what this little lens can do.

It's not exactly a revolutionary device, but the iPhone 8 Plus does promise some evolutionary updates in the camera department. DPR contributor Jeff Carlson has been putting the 8 Plus to the test in some everyday shooting situations – take a look at how it fared.

This week in Hollywood, DJI introduced its new Zenmuse X7 camera, a Super 35 format cinema camera of its own design that can also capture 24MP still images in APS-C format. Is it time to start thinking of DJI as a camera company?

The Nikon D850 isn't the first camera to hit triple digits on DxOMark; in fact, the Pentax 645Z was listed at 101 all the way back in 2015. So why was the full review never published? DxOMark explained earlier today.